There's been a lot of bullshit written lately about what is or is not feminist. Notable bones of contention include: ladyblogs, working in finance, doulas, "having it all," housewifing, rioting, protesting, protesting in lingerie, getting married, watching Girls. Essays in publications ranging from mass-circulation glossies like the Atlantic to small literary magazines like n+1appeal to a widespread fascination with the confused meaning of the term. The narcissism underlying the debate is parodied by the blog "Is This Feminist?" featuring stock photos of people shaking hands, walking the dog, and doing laundry. The pictures are rated as either "representing feminism" or "problematic."With no sense of what feminism is, these writers turn to personal experience. With each step and gesture, they wonder what they're contributing to feminism. Is navel-gazing feminist?

Imagine you're a Prince Edward Island woman or a rural Cape Bretoner, and you need an abortion. With no access on the island and scant few options east of the Canso Causeway, chances are you'll go to Halifax.

That means finding a drive, booking at least a one-night stay and likely looking for someone to come along and offer a kind word.

But what if you don't have a car, don't have cash for a motel and don't have someone for support?

Easy. You talk to Shannon Hardy.

Hardy is the founder of Maritime Abortion Support Services (MASS), which offers free rides, couches to crash on (breakfast included!), and informal consultations with women who have had abortions in the past and can tell patients what to expect. One volunteer will even pick up women from the Prince Edward Island ferry in Caribou and drive them to the city and back.

"If you need something," Hardy says, "we can find a volunteer to do it."

KENTVILLE — Kings County will soon have a new strategy to address homelessness.

About $70,000 from the federal government's Homeless Partnering Strategy will be used by the Housing First Association of Kings County to assess the needs of those in the county who are homeless or at risk of being homelessness.

"The funding will be fundamental in helping the (association) realize its vision statement, that there will be safe, adequate, affordable and sustainable housing for all people in Kings County," association chairman Diana Brothers said in a news release.

More than half the people charged in domestic assault cases in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality are choosing to take part in a therapy program, say officials with the Department of Justice.

The Domestic Violence Court, which has been sitting in an existing courtroom at the Sydney Justice Centre since June, is a two-year pilot project involving offenders who accept responsibility for their actions.

"I feel our numbers are excellent to start with. It's been sitting now since the end of June and we have had approximately 129 eligible cases go through the court," said Valerie Jewkes, the supervisor of the Domestic Violence Court.

"Approximately 53 per cent of those individuals have shown an interest in finding out more about the program and are initially interested in participating in it."